Arsenal are returning to the UK following the conclusion of their pre-season tour to Asia.
Mikel Arteta’s side now have two home friendly clashes against Villarreal and Athletic Bilbao before the Premier League season opener against Manchester United.
Thomas Frank praised Arsenal for their display in the 1-0 defeat against Spurs but supporters would have been concerned by the lack of penetration in attack from the Gunners.
The game did have a historic moment as the club’s new £63m striker Viktor Gyokeres made his debut and the Swede has already been speaking about the influence that Arteta has had on him since his arrival.
Gyokeres was left frustrated during his debut against Arsenal’s North London rivals, featuring for just 12 minutes and didn’t have any impact on the game.
That said, the 27-year-old has only had a couple of training sessions with his new team and will now be keen to further integrate into the plans upon return from the tour.
Arsenal’s new striker was asked about Arteta’s tactics and instructions so far and the Swede has revealed that his boss just wants him to be himself.
Gyokeres stated: “Yeah, just try to use my qualities as much as I can. But then as you said, I haven’t been here too long. I’ve only done one training session. So yeah, I think I have to do a few more to come into it even more.”
Getting that all important first goal for his new side will be a big moment for Gyokeres and he will hope that he can achieve that at the Emirates Stadium before heading to Old Trafford.
Gyokeres can take inspiration from Robin Van Persie in having the opportunity to score against his former manager Ruben Amorim on his first taste of competitive action for the Gunners.
The clash with Spurs was an insight into what Arsenal will have to deal with on numerous occasions this season – teams defending deep.
The Swede struggled to find any space and had just two touches during his short period on the pitch. Arteta will need to find a way to get his new striker involved more.
Arsenal bombarded Spurs with crosses from wide areas but none of them had any real quality or thought behind them.
Arteta now has the opportunity to work on patterns of play with his side and in particular how they can create chances for a striker that is as clinical as Gyokeres.
The team cannot just rely on Bukayo Saka producing the goods, other players now have to step up and show they can contribute to a fluid attacking system.
